Charismatic pastor Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng has withdrawn his application for an urgent interdict in the High Court against the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Cultural‚ Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL)‚ the Chapter Nine institution said on Thursday.

The case was set down for today‚ 10 August 2017.

The commission said in a statement that Prophet Mboro had wanted to go to court for “an urgent application to interdict the Commission not to open a case against him for not complying with section 7(2) of the Commission’s Act 19 of 2002“. The Commission said it had opened the case in 2016.

“Today (Mboro) withdrew the case with cost. This means that (the prophet) will bear the Commission’s cost of opposing.”

In mid-July‚ the Sowetan reported Motsoeneng‚ of the Incredible Happenings Ministries based in Katlehong‚ Ekurhuleni‚ had asked his followers for R4‚900 each to fund his legal fees against the CRL commission.

Mboro is one of the pastors who has crossed swords with the commission over its investigation into harmful religious practices.

Mboro said the commission wanted him to make his bank account public but he refused.

In April 2016‚ commission chairwoman Thoko Xaluva-Mkhwanazi opened criminal charges against him at Hillbrow police station. She said at the time: “We have formally laid charges against Mboro. He has consistently refused to give us financial statements or three months’ bank statements. We are looking into whether his religion is commercialised. All we are saying is what are you doing with the money you are getting from people? Where are you keeping the money you are getting from people? Where are you keeping the money you are getting from selling water?”

In July this year‚ we reported that the commission had produced a report recommending that:

- Every religious practitioner must be registered and fall under umbrella organisations.

- The umbrella organisations must be registered.

- Peer-review committees must be set up. These committees will ensure there is religious self-regulation and accountability. The peer-review committee will be the final mediator of disputes within their own religion.

- Every registered religious leader should have a location where he or she conducts religious ceremonies and this could be churches‚ homes‚ mosques‚ temples‚ mountains‚ open fields and tents.